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December 15, 2016

Henry and Paint

At the corner of Dartmouth Street and Stuart Street is one of the entrances to the Copley Place. Over the past year, many commuters have had to use this entrance to access the Bay Bay station from Copley Place due to the constructions of another entrance closer to the station.

In front of this entrance is an art display featuring two horses.

Henry and Paint

The two horses that are in the area in front of Copley Plaza are named Henry and Paint. Both of them have a plaque underneath them.

There is a plaque underneath both horses and they both have the following inscription:

The horses are made of cast bronze armature using traditional lost way process, with
overlapping sheets of copper then welded on a bronze armature.

The two-pieces abstract equestrian sculpture is the artwork of known "constructivist" Deborah Butterfield. The sculptor has focused on horses for over 20 years and has never made any use of drawings or sketches. Although, the artist is not captivated with mimicking any certain aspect of the horse, be the way she carefully chooses her materials she suggests some of the most delicate and surprising characteristics of the horse.

The artist born in San Diego, CA on May 7, 1940, makes use of two important ideas in art: unity and variety. These two principles serve as a fitting compliment for the centerpiece of the mixed-use complex entrance.

The plaque also gives the dimension of the two horses:

Paint

1987 Bronze & Copper

86"h x 118"w x 36"d

Henry

1987 Bronze & Copper

89"h x 94"w x 43"d

Future of the Copley Place Entrance

The future of "Henry" and "Paint" is uncertain, as Simon Property Group planned to build a 52-story tower at the corner of Dartmouth Street and Stuart Street.

Boston Redevelopment Agency approved of the 52-story tower on May 14, 2015. The 52-story tower was due to include 542 condos and apartments as well as retail and had been a long, long time planning.

In October 2016, Simon Property Group halted any forward progress of the new tower due to rising construction costs and concerns over the rising supply of luxury housing.

About this Blog Series

On Thursdays, I focus my blog content about interesting sites around Boston. You'll learn detailed information about various Boston-related sites.